


People Might Talk

by WholockHobbit88



Series: Little Sherlock and John [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: ABDL, Adult baby, Age Play, Daddy John, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Infantilism, Relationship Confusion, Relationship Issues, baby sherlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-18 03:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2333933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WholockHobbit88/pseuds/WholockHobbit88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People have always assumed Sherlock and John were a couple when they were flatmates living and working together. Even after they started having a private age play relationship, John has always been completely sure that he doesnt have romantic feelings for Sherlock and he's always been reasonably certain that Sherlock feels the same way. But when John begins to date again and Sherlock begins to act strangely, John fears that he might see him as more than just a caregiver.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

John stooped next to the body, feeling sympathy for the poor sod that they’d found in the lake, stripped, covered in injuries. The man couldn’t have been more than 20 and by the mass of bruises and lacerations covering his body he had ended life in the most unpleasant of ways. Judging from the bruises around his neck, John figured that he had been beaten and then strangled. 

Sherlock sat on the opposite side of the man, using his magnifier to study him. John could almost hear the wheels working inside Sherlock’s head when he looked into his eyes. Sherlock’s eyes danced over the body for another minuet before he stood up. “It was his flatmate” Sherlock announced to Lestrade. “Bring him in for questioning. Ask him about the victim’s girlfriend…..he’ll cave and confess”

“What? How did you even know he had a flatmate? We’ve barely checked his ID” Lestrade said. 

Sherlock grinned in a smug way. “I’ll meet you back at the station” he said in his infuriatingly brilliant way. He began to walk away from the lake and toward the street to hail a cab. John hopped up and followed after him. 

“His flatmate, huh?” John asked in amusement, “Hope you never get so tired of me that chuck me out into a lake” 

Sherlock gave him a slight grin as he climbed into a cab that he had been able to hail. “Seeing as we are unlikely to have a lover’s spat over the same woman, I think that that is unlikely”

Sherlock and John settled into the back seat as the car took off toward the Yard. It was starting to rain gently as they got stuck in a long line of traffic, slowly making their way to the station. “So, you really think you’ve got this guy that easily?” John asked as the cab sputtered forward slowly. 

“Ah, yes” Sherlock said, his eyes alight with the possibility of trapping a killer. “The violent beating and strangling…..that’s not done by a stranger or by someone that has no interest personally. There can be no mistake……we’ll be out of there in less than an hour. Then we can start our weekend early” 

John’s noticed Sherlock’s cheeks blushed slightly. Their ‘normal weekends’ consisted of age play the second that Sherlock was off of a case. When John had found out about Sherlock’s little interests, he’d only been so happy to indulge. When not engaged in a difficult problem, it helped Sherlock’s mind to unwind by acting little. It had made him even more brilliant when he was on cases; his mind had been so freed by their arraignment. They had hit a problem this past week with it though. Today was the first time that John had other plans that did not involve Sherlock. 

It had been months since John had been on a date; the last time he’d went on a date had been when he and Sherlock had just started to do age play together and John had found out, with much debating with himself, that he would rather play with Sherlock than go on a date. They’d had a huge argument the last time but they hadn’t spoken of it since.   
But it had been a long time, embarrassingly so, since John had been on a date. When he had accidently run his cart into a woman at the grocery store and they had hit off, he hadn’t thought twice about asking her out. Her name was Anna and she seemed funny and easygoing. She was a nurse at the local surgery and they had ended up standing in the store swapping stories for twenty minutes before John had gotten the courage to ask her out and they had parted ways. John had gently broken the news to Sherlock, who acted as though he didn’t care. But when John hadn’t seen him the rest of the night and had latter found three torn coloring books and a box of broken crayons in the garbage, he knew that his little boy wasn’t alright with it. John had felt bad about it but he knew that he and Sherlock couldn’t rely on each other for everything. While John might have been meeting all of Sherlock’s emotional needs, there were certain needs John needed to have met that Sherlock was not a part of, nor did he want him to be a part of. 

“Sherlock…..I’m not going to be in tonight” John reminded Sherlock gently, before he could get too excited. “I’m going out, remember?”

Sherlock hadn’t forgotten; he was hoping John would give in and not go. “Oh yes…..let me guess. Cinema and dinner? Dull……” Sherlock said in a sulky way, all of his previous excitement gone. 

John was annoyed; he was used to little Sherlock whining and needing his attention, but it wasn’t like big Sherlock to get miffed that he was going on a date. “It’s not really any of your business what we’re doing” John said, slightly annoyed. “I know you’re mad that I have plans…..”

“I’m not angry” Sherlock said quickly and forcefully with obvious annoyance. “Do whatever you want to do…..doesn’t matter to me”

“We can……have our weekend….. when I get home” John said, feeling his cheeks flush as the cab pulled up to the Yard. 

“Don’t worry about it….do whatever you want to do” Sherlock said icily as he stepped out of the cab, leaving John behind to pay the fare. He hung his head; this was not going to be easy he could already see.   
…….  
John stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, combing his hair for the fifth time, still unsatisfied with the way it looked; considering he was unhappy with the way his clothes (the 3rd outfit he’d tried on) looked too, he was sure that he was just being paranoid. His hands were shaking slightly, his stomach churning; he had the jitters just like a teenager going on their first date. It had been so long since he’d been on a date that he’d almost forgotten how to do it all; he hoped that he didn’t foul this up. Anna seemed really nice and he didn’t want to ruin it by being stupid. 

The flat was quiet; John hadn’t heard anything from Sherlock ever since they had left from the Yard. After their spat in the cab, it had remained all business. When they had gotten home, Sherlock had gone straight to his room and John hadn’t heard or seen him since. He was sure that he was pouting; whether big or little he didn’t know though he suspected very much that Sherlock was being little by himself. John did feel bad he was upset even though he wished Sherlock would understand his need for a girlfriend. He couldn’t really blame him though; John hadn’t seen anything close to any kind of sexual needs from Sherlock. He’d never once spoke of a girlfriend-or boyfriend- and he didn’t seem to understand John’s needs for such things. He’d been worried about Sherlock; he tended to be self-destructive when upset so he’d asked Mrs. Hudson to come up and check on him from time to time. 

John looked at his watch as he stepped out of the bathroom, noting that he needed to get going quickly if he was not going to be late. He didn’t want to leave without saying something to Sherlock so he walked toward his bedroom. When John knocked on Sherlock’s bedroom, he heard something loud hit the door in response; most likely a toy or shoe thrown in anger. 

“Sherlock, I’m leaving” John said, unperturbed by the thrown object. “I’ll be back in a little while. Take care of yourself, okay?”

There was the sound of scuffling behind the door before it was wrenched open. Sherlock stood on the other side of the door, standing in a dinosaur t-shirt, nappy, holding his blankie in one hand. A large pile of Legos littered the floor, a large structure being built in the middle. John was expecting to see an angry Sherlock standing in front of him, but that wasn’t what he had found. Sherlock stood in front of him, his lip jutting out, and his eyes watery. 

“Daddy, please don’t go!” Sherlock begged, his voice whiny and in full blown pout. 

John felt his caregiver heartstrings tugging; damn, he was good. “Sherlock, I’ll only be gone this evening. I’ll be back for bedtime” John promised. Far from making Sherlock feel assured, it only made it worse. Sherlock dropped his blankie, launching himself at John so forcefully that John was forced to sit on Sherlock’s bed while he climbed onto his lap. 

“Daddy…..I don’t want you to go” Sherlock begged, his eyes tearing. Sherlock put his hands on John’s cheeks, making him look at him. “Please…..I want you here, with me. Please don’t leave me”

John felt his resolve giving; no…..not now……John chided himself. He was so weak when it came to his little boy. He hated seeing him sad and Sherlock definitely had him wrapped around his finger. It took all of his resolve to stay strong and remember why he was doing this. “I’m not leaving you, sweetie” John cooed, falling into his daddy voice even though he had told himself that he was not going to do that tonight. “I’m just going out. Mrs. Hudson will be around later to keep you company and play with you. I’ll be bet you can get her to watch Frozen with you. Or, maybe Mary Poppins? She loves Mary Poppins”

“But she’s not you” Sherlock whined, looking slightly pained. 

“No….but she is really nice” John said. “I’ll bet she’ll even make you cookies if you ask nicely”

Sherlock thought about it for a moment before looking pained again. “No……I want you!” he wailed. 

“I’m sorry, sweetie but I am going” John said determinately. He had to end this before it got out of hand. “I’ll be home to tuck you in, okay?”

Sherlock hung his head. “Okay” he said, his voice in full defeat. John wrapped his arms around Sherlock, rubbing his back gently. 

“I’m going to miss you, you know, right?” John asked. He leaned in and gave Sherlock a small kiss on the tip of his nose. 

Sherlock smiled at the small bit of affection. “I’ll miss you too daddy” he said, his voice small and cute, melting John inside. Sherlock returned the small kiss, right on the tip of his nose. 

When Sherlock pulled back and looked at John, John could feel something in the air change between them. Sherlock was staring at him intently, his eyes searching for something. John was about to ask him what was wrong when Sherlock put his hand on the back of John’s head, leaned in and kissed him. 

John was so surprised that he was momentarily frozen, Sherlock’s lips moving along his own. Sherlock had kissed him before when he was in little space; but it had always been on the cheek or nose. It had been little, innocent kisses, the way a child would kiss a father. This kiss……was absolutely nothing like a father/son kiss. 

Somehow, John found his hands were in Sherlock’s hair, his face pressed as much to Sherlock’s as he could be; Sherlock’s hold on him prevented him from moving. Somehow, he felt his mind had not given consent; he was caught in a tangle of lips, teeth and tongue, his brain addled. He was certainly reconsidering his former thoughts that Sherlock had no interests in such things; no one got to be that good at kissing without practice. He needed to stop, he tried to but….blimey……

“Sherlock? Are you here?”

Mrs. Hudson’s voice ringing through the flat, roused John out of his sudden fuzzied brain. He pulled back, his hands falling away from Sherlock. They stayed there, staring at each other, faces flushed for a minute. John put his hand over his mouth. What the hell just happened……?

“Sherlock? Where are you at?”

John could hear Mrs. Hudson’s voice growing closer and he was glad when Sherlock slid off his lap. Without another glance at John, Sherlock moved into the floor, beginning to work furtively on his Lego structure once more. John’s heart was racing, his brain confused. Sherlock wouldn’t look at him; he was playing with his Legos as if nothing had just happened, as if hadn’t just completely snogged him out of nowhere. He wished Sherlock would at least look at him so he could gauge his reaction, try to figure out what the hell that had been about. 

“There you two are” Mrs. Hudson said as she walked into Sherlock’s room. She smiled down at Sherlock with a dotting smile, as he was an adorable grandchild of hers, which was pretty much how she treated him. Since finding out about Sherlock’s little side, she had been spoiling him just as well as a grannie should. 

“I’d have thought you would have left by now, John” Mrs. Hudson said. She gave him a warm smile. “You’re going to be late”

John stared at her for a moment; she obviously couldn’t see the emotional turmoil he was in so he was thankful for that. “Oh…..I was……just about to leave” John said, his voice slightly rough. He coughed to clear it, his heart still beating erratically. 

“Are you alright?” Mrs. Hudson asked, now seeming to take notice of his strange behavior. She looked at him curiously and he forced himself to smile as he rose from the bed, trying not to look at Sherlock. 

“I’m fine…..wonderful” he said in slight exaggeration. 

Mrs. Hudson grinned “You’re worried about your date, aren’t you? How sweet” she beamed. 

John’s stomach squirmed; that was what he had been worried about, until Sherlock had acted so adult toward him. “Yes” John said, “you caught me…..I’m a bit out of practice, throwing my nerves off”

“Don’t worry” Mrs. Hudson said, “You’ll be fine.” She walked over to where Sherlock was sitting on the floor. “Sherlock, you want to come down to my flat? I’ve just finished making a cake and you can help me with icing” Mrs. Hudson held out her hand toward Sherlock. Sherlock looked up from his Legos, took Mrs. Hudson’s hand and stood, a smile on his face. 

Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock walked past John, Mrs. Hudson grinning at him. “You have a good time tonight, dear. Don’t worry about us; we’ll be just fine”

John forced a smile back, but he felt ill at ease. He watched Sherlock as he passed by him out the door. He didn’t seem to even notice John, seeming too excited in the prospect of icing the cake and most likely getting to lick the bowl clean. He was completely unreadable; it was almost like John imagined the whole thing. Only, he knew he wasn’t that lucky.


	2. Chapter 2

John didn’t want to find his mind straying but in the quiet and darkness of the cinema, he found his thoughts wandering to the incident with Sherlock. The date had been going surprisingly well; he was alarmed by the episode with Sherlock but he had quickly forgotten about it when he had picked Anna up. They had walked to dinner, the night clear and cool, with a perfectly bright moon and stars above. There was enough of the awkwardness that came with a first date; including John being a klutz and spilling his wine all over the table during dinner. But, conversation came easily and John was enjoying himself; he was pretty sure that Anna was enjoying herself as well. It was the perfect night of adult fun that he hadn’t had in a very long time. 

John was actually proud of himself that he didn’t think of Sherlock more; sometimes he felt like that was all he thought about, sad as it was. But now that he and Anna were in the movie, not talking, watching the type of film that women loved but put men to sleep, his mind drifted. What in the world had Sherlock been thinking? He had known that Sherlock was upset that he was leaving, but that kiss had definitely been completely adult. There was nothing little about it at all. Was Sherlock confused? Sometimes Sherlock’s emotions got all jumbled up, especially when he was little. But, as he had been thinking right before the whole thing happened, Sherlock never showed any interest in anything romantic at all; why did he now? Was it some kind of an experiment; was he testing John’s reaction to it? It seemed like the kind of thing he’d do. Or was it something more? John couldn’t help but think it was odd that he had done it when he’d been so obviously upset that John was going out. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, a thought occurred to John. What if Sherlock was jealous? What if the reason he’d gotten so upset that John was going out was because he wanted John’s attention? What if that was the reason that he’d kissed him?  
John’s thoughts were a million miles away when he felt a hand slip into his; he looked over next to him to see Anna smiling gently at him, entwining her hand with John’s. John felt himself relax; he was being ridiculous. There was no way Sherlock had those kind of feelings for him; he was just confused. Sherlock was used to having John’s attention almost 24/7 and he just didn’t want to share. 

Resolving to give it no more thought, John settled himself further into his chair, enjoying the feel of Anna’s hand in his. It had been a good night and he wasn’t going to let his errant thoughts ruin it. 

…….  
John was in good spirits when he returned to the flat hours later; things had gone well enough with Anna. She had agreed to go out with him later on in the week again, so John felt confident she enjoyed the night like he did. He did have some apprehension, walking up the stairs; he wasn’t sure how Sherlock would be acting now. Would he be back to normal? Clingy? Angry? John didn’t know but he knew the only way to know was to get it over with. 

John heard music issuing from the living room when he stepped in and found Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock on the couch watching The Sound of Music. Sherlock was sitting curled up next to Mrs. Hudson, his head on her shoulder, cuddling close to her, a blanket thrown over both their laps. The sight of it warmed John’s heart. Sherlock was initially very upset that Mrs. Hudson had found out about his secret; he wasn’t used to sharing it with anyone. Once he had been fully convinced that Mrs. Hudson didn’t think he was strange or weird, she in fact thought it was quite cute, he opened up to her. John had known for a long time that Sherlock was attached to Mrs. Hudson. She had long been one of the few people he allowed to hug him or touch him and he had once nearly killed a man that had beat her; John knew he cared about her. The same was also true of Mrs. Hudson; she had always worried over and taken care of Sherlock. With his littleness, they were able to grow closer like John suspected that they had long wanted to. 

Mrs. Hudson noticed him as he walked further into the living room. “Ah, John, you’re back. Did you have a good time?” she asked. Sherlock looked up from Mrs. Hudson’s shoulder for a second but then laid his head down. He showed no interest in John and looked very tired. 

“Yes, it was a very good evening” John said, walking over to where they were sitting. “What about you two? What did you get up to?” John was waiting for Sherlock to say something but Mrs. Hudson was the one that spoke. 

“We finished making a cake” Mrs. Hudson said, looking at Sherlock dotingly, “Then we did a puzzle and started watching a film”

“Sounds like you had a good night too” John said. He walked toward Sherlock his hands out. “I’ll take you to bed, sweetheart. Daddy missed you”

John was expecting Sherlock to reach out toward him; he was unpleasantly surprised when Sherlock pulled back, burrowing closer to Mrs. Hudson. “No” he said stubbornly. He frowned at John. 

John had expected Sherlock to want to take him to bed; he was actually hoping for it. To get no hug or ‘l missed you’ hurt his feelings. Mrs. Hudson could tell his distress. “I’m sure Sherlock just wants to finish his film, and then he can go to bed.” She said encouragingly. “You can tuck him in then”

“That’s alright, you can tuck him in” John said, trying not to sound disappointed. He looked once more at Sherlock, whose eyes were glued to the telly. He reluctantly walked back to his room. John changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed with a book but he found it hard to focus on reading. 

He was hurt by Sherlock’s rejection; after how upset he was at John’s leaving, he was sure that Sherlock would run into his arms happily. He never thought Sherlock would give him the cold shoulder. He was so confused; Sherlock’s anger, the kiss……how he was ignoring him now. John didn’t know what to make of it. After a while, the flat grew quiet and John became tired; he ventured out of his room to see if Sherlock had gone to bed. When he walked into the sitting room, the telly was off and Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock were gone. John walked down the hallway and to Sherlock’s room; he peeked his head inside and saw that Sherlock was already in bed, fast asleep. John felt another pang of loneliness; he had still expected Sherlock to crawl into his bed after Mrs. Hudson had left. Sherlock almost always slept with him when he was little. John thought about climbing in with Sherlock but after a moment’s debate he decided against it. 

John went back to his bedroom; he thought about just climbing into bed but he needed something else. He’d never really viewed nappies as comforting, but tonight he put one on tightly around himself, feeling down. He was tired but sleep evaded him. His arms were empty and his bed felt cold. He was so used to sleeping with Sherlock that it was difficult to do without him sometimes. John knew he and Sherlock were dependent on each other; maybe too dependent. If he ever expected to date again, to bring other people into his life, he had to branch out a bit. Maybe Sherlock realized that; maybe that was why he’d given John distance when he got home. Maybe John would be able to believe that, had Sherlock not kissed him like he had. 

John went to sleep, his thoughts jumbled and all over the place. 

…….  
John’s sleep was disturbed and uneasy; it was the sort of sleep that he was used to, where he would have terrible nightmares . He kept having dreams that made him feel uneasy; when he awoke, he couldn’t remember what had happened. When he was finally awake for good in the morning, he was greeted with the sound of heavy rain pounding on the roof, the room grey. It was exactly the type of morning that made him want to stay in bed and not get up. John rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling; he couldn’t remember what he had dreamed, but whatever it had been, it had left him with a painful and desperate throbbing in his nappy. John looked toward his bedroom door, which was closed, and listened for the sound of Sherlock in the flat but didn’t hear anything. Normally John would take care of such things in the bathroom; Sherlock didn’t respect privacy very much; but throwing caution to the wind this time, he undid one side of his nappy, slipping his hand inside. He leaned back on his pillows, moving his hand in the perfect rhythm; this was another adult thing he’d rather neglected lately. 

John was conjuring up some very pleasant images in his head and becoming relaxed when he heard the sound of his door open. His eyes popped open to see Sherlock walking, practically skipping into his room, clad in his pyjamas and eating a biscuit. He hopped around the bed and flopped onto the other side of the bed. John felt his cheeks flaming red as he hastily covered his exposed nappy and very noticeable erection. 

“Sherlock…..get out of here!” John said, his voice betraying his hysterical state. 

“Why?” Sherlock asked, his voice light and curious; little. 

John struggled to keep his composure and not yell at Sherlock; if he was acting big he would have told him to mind his own damn business. But being little, he didn’t do that. “I’m kind of in the middle of something and I need you to leave” John said as patiently as he could. 

“What? What are you doing?” Sherlock asked, finished off his biscuit and licking the chocolate off his fingers. 

John’s face was on fire. “I’m doing grown up things that daddy is not going to discuss with you” he said, his voice strained.

Sherlock sat for a minute, as if thinking it over before he leaned over and tried to look under the covers John’s had so strategically place over himself. John clamped the blankets down over himself with desperation. “Stop it!” John said, getting angry now. “Leave, right now”

Sherlock tiled his head, looking down at John’s lap so that it made John feel very uncomfortable. “You’re doing naughty stuff” he said knowingly. It made John angry; of course he knew. He would have known the moment he walked in; why did he feel the need to voice it?

“Sherlock” John said through gritted teeth “I need you to leave right now”

“So you can do your naughty things?” Sherlock asked, too annoyingly forward. 

It took ever resolve for John not to smack Sherlock, little or not. “Yes. Get. Out” John said as firmly as he could. 

“Why should I leave? I already know what you’re doing so it’s not a secret. I could just stay here until you get done” Sherlock said as care freely as if he was suggesting he sit still while John finished his breakfast. 

John felt himself turn pale; stay….Sherlock was really suggesting he stay while John wanked off? “No…..absolutely not. Leave” John said. 

“I don’t want to be alone” Sherlock said, his voice whiny and needy. “Let me stay, please”

John was more than annoyed now; Sherlock wanted to ignore him last night but now he wanted to be so clingy he wouldn’t give John even the tiniest shred of privacy. “Sherlock, if you don’t get out of here right this instant, I will drag you out and when I come out you will be punished” he said, showing his barely contained anger. 

John didn’t know if Sherlock would take the bait or not; sometimes, Sherlock seemed to care very little if John threatened to punish him. Sometimes, the threat would make him act worse. “No…..I don’t want to go” Sherlock insisted, his voice even louder and with a more annoying pitch. So, he wanted a punishment…..

“That’s it” John muttered, pulling his pyjama bottoms over his lower half as well as he could with his bulging nappy. He grabbed Sherlock’s arm and dragged him out of the room, shoving him out of the door. This time, he made sure the door was firmly locked. 

John still felt his anger and irritation boiling hot as he sat back down on the bed; Sherlock could just be so annoying sometimes. John pulled his pyjamas back down, opening his nappy again. He was surprised to find his need still as pressing; he would have thought his anger at Sherlock would have made it ebb away. Imagine, letting him stay……it was ridiculous. 

John didn’t find the wonderful rhythm or delightful images he’d had before Sherlock had interrupted him. Instead, his movements were jerky and full of irritation, his anger at Sherlock taking precedence in his mind. It should have taken longer; or not happened at all but it seemed to happen in hardly any time at all. Feeling slightly disgusted and mad at himself, John cleaned himself up, changing out his pyjamas and nappy. 

When John walked down the hallway and into the living room, he was feeling less angry at Sherlock; wasn’t this exactly what he had wanted last night? He had wanted Sherlock to give him his undivided attention. But at the same time, he wanted Sherlock to listen when he gave him an order, especially when he was in such a precarious state. He was surprised to find Sherlock was already sitting on the naughty mat, his arms crossed over his chest, pouting. It was rare when Sherlock putting himself on the naughty mat; it was usually when he was trying to avoid a spanking. 

John thought about spanking him; had he punished Sherlock when he threw him out of the room he would have spanked him. But now he wasn’t as angry and he didn’t feel the need to spank him now. Now, all he felt was curiosity as to Sherlock’s odd behavior. 

John walked over to the naughty mat and sat down across from Sherlock on the floor. Sherlock glanced at him, his expression sour. 

“Sherlock, why are you here? Why did you put yourself on the naughty mat?” John asked him, his voice even. 

Sherlock didn’t answer for a long time. “You yelled at me…..you were going to punish me” he said stubbornly. 

“Yes” John admitted. “I was very angry at you because you weren’t listening to me. Why didn’t you do as daddy asked?”

Sherlock gave a dramatic huff. “I told you, I wanted to be with you because I was alone and I didn’t want to be”

“But I was doing adult things that little boys shouldn’t see” John said. He still felt a red blush on his cheeks thinking about it. 

“So?” Sherlock asked impatiently, crossing his arms harder. 

The answer concerned John; normally he would have been going in the opposite direction when such things were addressed. John’s curiosity about Sherlock’s strange behavior and the kiss from last night urged John on. “Sherlock, can we talk about what happened last night?” he asked. He thought he might be able to get more truth from Sherlock little than he would have admitted big. Big Sherlock wouldn’t talk about anything feelings related; little Sherlock sometimes would. 

“What about it?” Sherlock asked, frowning. 

“How did you feel, Sherlock? When daddy went out last night?” John asked simply. “How did it make you feel?”

Sherlock looked down at his lap and John thought he wouldn’t say anything. “Angry” he finally said. 

“Why were angry I was going out?” John asked in a gentle tone of voice. 

Sherlock fiddled nervously with the corner of the naughty mat. “I wanted you to stay home with me. I like us spending time together” he admitted. 

John wasn’t surprised for this answer; it was what he had thought from the beginning. “You know, Sherlock, grown-ups need to go out and go on dates” John said as nicely as he could. “I need to go out and do other things”

“No you don’t!” Sherlock said angrily, pounding his fist against the floor in frustration. 

There was some of the emotion that John was hoping to get out of him. “I don’t? Why not?” John asked. 

“Because you have me” Sherlock said, his lip trembling as if he might cry but he didn’t. 

John paused; even that reaction could be what he hoped for, that Sherlock didn’t want someone to take his daddy away. But it could also speak of something else deeper. “I know I have you sweetie” John said, “And I love the time that we spend together. But daddy needs grown-ups to hang out to do grown up things with. Do you understand?”

Sherlock didn’t answer; he gave a small nod but he remained silent. 

“Sherlock…..”John said hesitantly, sure Sherlock wouldn’t take kindly to it even in his little state. “Why did you kiss me, last night?”

Sherlock’s eyes stared into John’s, vast open orbs. “What do you mean, daddy?” he asked. 

John shifted, feeling uncomfortable. “Last night, when I was about to leave” he said slowly, “you kissed me in a very grown up way. Why did you do that?” 

Sherlock’s face blushed deep red and his eyes darted away from John’s. “I didn’t do that” he said. 

“Yes, you did” John said. “You kissed daddy on the mouth, like grown-ups kiss.”

“No, I didn’t!” Sherlock said, somewhat desperately. His eyes widened, his face paling. He was on the verge of tears. John could have fought it but he could see this wasn’t the time; Sherlock wasn’t ready to talk. 

“Okay, sweetie” John said quickly, assuringly to Sherlock so that he didn’t dissolve into a tantrum. “It’s okay. If you’re ready to listen to daddy now, you can get up off the naughty mat.”

“I’ll listen” Sherlock said, his bottom lip jutting out pitifully. John couldn’t help but reach out and give Sherlock a hug; sometime he was just too adorable. 

“That’s a good boy” John said, giving him a pat on the back as he hugged him. “Let’s go get some breakfast”


	3. Chapter 3

John was glad to see that the rest of the day went off normally; or as normal as a little day with Sherlock could go. John had wondered if Sherlock would misbehave for more attention or because he was upset with him but it turned out that he didn’t. It had been a lazy sort of little day and John had no complaints. Sherlock had eaten his breakfast and lunch well, though dinner was a challenge as it usually was; Sherlock was done with eating by that late in the day. He and Sherlock had spent several hours with cartoons on, the sound of the heavy rain dancing on the roof while they colored and built a Lego pirate ship together. John had wanted to press the issue of the kiss on Sherlock but he left it alone; he knew if he pressed when Sherlock wasn’t ready then he would just shut down. And maybe it really hadn’t meant anything; Sherlock was acting very normal, like nothing had changed. He’d been calm and not had another emotional outburst. 

Until bedtime, when his bedtime story had apparently offended him. John hadn’t even had time to close the book before Sherlock ripped it from his hands and chucked it across the room. It landed with a thud and slid across the room. Sherlock crossed his arms and frowned heavily. 

“Sherlock….what did you do that for?” John asked in confusion as he looked at the discarded book. 

“Stupid book…..dumb story” Sherlock said with a disgruntled huff. 

John couldn’t see what the problem had been; he’d thought Mister Seahorse had been a delightful bedtime story. He’d chosen it for Sherlock because it featured all sea creatures where the dad was the nurturing parent; Sherlock liked daddy stories. Sherlock had been enjoying the story until only a moment ago and John couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. 

“What was wrong with it?” John asked, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“That seahorse is a bad daddy” Sherlock said, his face screwed up in anger. If Sherlock wasn’t so obviously concerned about the book, it would have been funny. 

“Bad? He was a good daddy” John said. “He carried all his little babies until they were ready to hatch”

“Yeah, but then he threw them out” Sherlock spat, his words edging on vicious. 

“He didn’t throw them out, they had to hatch, they were ready to go” John said. 

“The one tried to come back” Sherlock said, sadness on his face. “And he told him he was ready to be on his own! Well, he obviously wasn’t ready to be on his own if he wanted to come back” 

With those words it dawned on John and he felt like he should have seen it coming. Sherlock was feeling vulnerable right now about their relationship; he didn’t think Sherlock was so sensitive that he had to start screening the books that he read to Sherlock but maybe he’d been wrong. 

“Sherlock, you know it’s just a book, right?” John asked. 

Sherlock rolled his eyes. “Of course I know it’s a book, I’m not stupid. Only the book is stupid” he said, trying to act angry but showing sadness in his eyes. 

John scooted over closer to Sherlock in bed, putting his arm around him but Sherlock didn’t lean back on him. “You know I’m not going to leave you, Sherlock” John tried to assure him. “That’s why the book upset you, right? You’re worried about daddy leaving you”

“No” Sherlock said too quickly. 

“Well, I just wanted to tell you no matter what I’m not going to leave you” John said, giving Sherlock a small hug in an effort to get him to loosen up. “I’m never going to be like the daddy in the story and tell you that you have to be on your own.”

Sherlock seemed to be thinking the matter over but eventually he gave in and leaned into John’s hug. “Never?” he said after a long time of silence. His voice cracked harshly.   
“Never” John assured him, giving him a tight hug. 

……  
Over the next couple of days, it was easy for John to forget that strange incident with the kiss had happened at all. He and Sherlock began working on a murder case that consumed most of their time. Sherlock was running all over London while John was off on his own interviewing family and friends of the victim. They didn’t see much of each other, other than for a few minutes at night when John ate a quick dinner before passing out. Sherlock, being on a case, wasn’t showing his little side at all. Several days later was the day that John had scheduled his next date with Anna and he was relieved that since Sherlock was not in little space, he might avoid having to deal with a cranky toddler when he left for his date this time. 

John had interviewed a potential witness before he was off heading for 221B; Sherlock had been gone most of the day, having fled the Yard this morning without telling anyone why he was leaving. John was not surprised to find Sherlock was still not home when he arrived and he set off toward the bathroom to shower and clean up for the date.   
When John stepped out of the bathroom shortly later he jumped several feet into the air when he heard feet stomping down the hallway. He turned his head to see Sherlock running at him a split second before he grabbed him in a tight hug. 

“Sherlock, what are you doing?” John asked, trying to tie the towel he’d been using to dry his hair around his waist; he’d not expected to run into anyone from the bathroom to his bedroom. 

“Giving you a hug, daddy…..duh” Sherlock said with a laugh. Sherlock didn’t look particularly little; he was in sweats and t-shirt and from the non-crinkly sound he made when he walked John was sure he didn’t have a nappy on. But his tone and mannerisms definitely suggested that he was little. It alarmed John; Sherlock never mixed work and his littleness. His little side was something he did in the time between cases, to relax and recharge his mind. The only time he’d mixed the two was when he he’d been traumatized after George Grey, a man who had tortured him, was on the loose. In almost a year’s time of being in their caregiver and little roles that had never changed; the fact that he was doing this right before his date was something that didn’t escape his notice. 

“Oh…..well, I didn’t really expect to see my little boy right now” John said as coolly as possible. “You just surprised me. Did you get your grown up work done?”

Sherlock shook his head. “Nope…..I’ll do it tomorrow” he said, bouncing on his feet with a smile on his face. 

I’ll do it tomorrow? That was not at all like Sherlock; normally a case put Sherlock on such a bent so that nothing could stop him. This lassie faire attitude toward finishing his work, the work he’d been hell bent on for days, was more than alarming. “Can we play, daddy?” Sherlock asked enthusiastically before John could think of anything to say. 

John groaned internally; this was going to be the same argument as the last time. “Sherlock, I’m going out tonight…..you remember that” John said hesitantly because he knew that Sherlock did remember that; he just didn’t want to admit it. 

Sherlock pouted his lip out and batted his eyes in one of the most adorable expressions that John had ever seen him wear. “You don’t want to play with me?” he asked, his voice sounding small and wounded at the same time. 

John’s legs felt like jelly; he had to summon everything that he had to resist the temptation. “I do want to play with you but I’ve already got plans” John finally forced himself to say, reminding himself how much fun he’d had the last time that he was on a date. “I can play with you when I get back”

That was obviously not the answer that Sherlock wanted; he folded his arms, scrunched his face into a frown and stomped down the hallway toward his room. John thought about going after him but he needed to get ready and so he headed in the opposite direction toward his own room. Once he was dressed and ready to walk out the door, John decided that he had to say something to Sherlock before he left. He knew that Sherlock would be pouting; that’s what he did when he didn’t get his way. But he still felt bad for him; whatever else motivation was behind his strange behavior lately, at the core of it was a little boy who didn’t want his daddy to leave and that broke John’s heart. Sometimes John wished that Sherlock understood the simplest concepts like how he needed someone else besides him to socialize with. Sometimes he just wanted Sherlock to be more normal. But it was precisely Sherlock’s uniqueness that made John want to be around him; he wasn’t like anyone else. 

John walked down the hallway toward Sherlock’s bedroom, giving a tentative knock on the cracked door. There was a muffled voice on the other side and John took it as an invitation to come in. When he walked into Sherlock’s room he found Sherlock sitting on the floor, leaning on his bed, his stuffed Olaf in his lap. His eyes looked red but he wasn’t crying at the moment. 

“I know you’re mad at me” John said, sitting down on the floor next to Sherlock. “I didn’t do any of this to make you mad, you know”

Sherlock looked warily at John but he didn’t say anything. He seemed determined to keep pouting. 

“I do care about you….nothing has changed in that regard” John tried to assure him. “I’m still your daddy and you’re still my little boy.”

“But you won’t stay with me” Sherlock said sadly, looking down at his lap. 

John felt a pang of regret; he had to remind himself that he deserved to be happy in doing other things. “I can’t stay with you all of the time, Sherlock” John said wearily. “We spend so much time together…..I need to do other things sometimes, okay?”

Sherlock frowned. “No!” he said vehemently. 

“Why? Why can’t you get that?” John asked, feeling his irritation rise. “Why can’t you understand that I just need to see other people every once and a while?”

A warm of emotion crossed over Sherlock’s face; John saw anger, sadness, pain, regret. All of this flashed over his face in a matter of seconds and the next second, John felt lips pressed against his own. 

Again, John felt himself frozen, trying to figure out what was happening. Sherlock was kissing him…..again. For a moment, he felt like he was in a bubble, feeling and hearing and seeing nothing else other than Sherlock’s lips pressed against his own. Slowly, his mind struggled to the surface and he managed to pry Sherlock away from him. 

“Sherlock! What are you doing?” John asked. He hadn’t meant it to come out so loud and brash, but this was the second time that Sherlock had kissed him, actually kissed him and not a little kiss. He needed answers as to what was happening. 

“I…..I…..nothing……” Sherlock stuttered out, flinching slightly at the harshness of John’s voice. 

“No, tell me why you just kissed me” John insisted. 

“I……no…..” Sherlock mumbled incoherently before trying to scramble off of the floor and make a quick exit. John grabbed his hand, keeping him in the room. This time, there was no Mrs. Hudson to prevent them from having a discussion and he was going to demand that Sherlock give him some answers. 

“Sherlock, you are going to answer my questions” John said in his sternest voice he could manage. 

Sherlock’s face turned red as beet. “I……I….didn’t……I mean……” Sherlock tried to argue. 

John’s heart was still struggling to process the shock. He forced himself to speak calmly and not raise his voice at Sherlock. “You are going to go into the other room and wait for me. I will be in there in a minuet and when I get in there, you are going to tell me exactly what is going on here” John had forced his voice to be calm but he also let it be known that it wasn’t open for discussion. 

Hanging his head, Sherlock stood up and walked out of the room, as if walking to his imminent death. John sighed internally; he would have to reschedule his date now. He knew that if he didn’t take care of this right now, somehow Sherlock would manage to wiggle out of explaining. Also, he was sure that he wouldn’t be good company if his mind was stuck on Sherlock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is a little behind; I had no internet all weekend (it was horrible!) but its finally up and I didnt want to you guys to have to wait any longer to find out what happens with these two :) This is the last chapter, but as always keep your eyes peeled for more in the future! Thanks for reading!

John pulled his mobile out, his spirit deflating. So it began; this would be the first time that he lied to Anna in regard to Sherlock but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. It never ended; sometimes he wondered why he tried. 

John dialed Anna’s number and waited for several rings before she picked up. “Hello?” came Anna’s sweet voice on the other end. 

“Hi, Anna. Its John” John said. 

“Oh……hello. What’s up?” Anna asked, obviously surprised he was calling when he was supposed to be picking her up in less than half an hour. 

“I’m really sorry, but I think I’m going to have to reschedule our date for another night” John said apologetically. 

“Is everything alright?” Anna asked in concern. 

“Yeah” John said. “It’s just uh……my flat mate. He’s really sick. I don’t want to leave him alone right now” John hated having to lie to her but he couldn’t see another option. 

“Oh, no” Anna said with ample concern and John’s guilt increased. “I hope he’ll be alright. Though, I guess he’s in good hands”

“I really am sorry about this” John said guiltily. 

“Its fine……you stay and take care of your flat mate. We can just reschedule” Anna assured him. 

“Thanks for being so understanding……I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” John said feeling some relief that she had taken it well. 

“Okay…..good night, John” Anna said. 

“Goodbye”

John hung up the mobile, one burden off of his shoulder. His palms began to sweat and his heart raced now that he had to deal with the big, blaring elephant in the room. Wiping his palms on his trousers and steeling himself up to speak with Sherlock, he walked into the sitting room. He was mildly surprised to actually find Sherlock sitting on the couch waiting. He had half expected Sherlock to make a run for it while he was talking to Anna. 

John crossed the room and sat down on the couch next to Sherlock. He could see Sherlock’s eyes were wide as saucers, filled with worry. 

“Okay, Sherlock” John said as easily as he could. “Is there anything that you would like to tell me?”

“No……daddy……please……”Sherlock began, his lip pouting out in his most pitiful don’t-make-me-do-it-daddy face. John wasn’t going to let it work this time. 

“Sherlock……I really need you to be grown up right now” John said. “You need to stop being little for a little while we talk because what you did was a grown up issue”

“But Daddy……”

“No” John said firmly. “Talk to me normally. Not as Daddy” It pained John to have to ask that of Sherlock. He had never told Sherlock to stop being little; he never wanted Sherlock to stop being little before. But right now he needed to have an adult conversation with Sherlock no matter how painful it was. 

“What do you expect me to say?” Sherlock asked after a long pause, he voice tired and slightly annoyed now that he was being grown up. 

“I don’t know……that’s the point. I want to know why you kissed me. You’ve done it twice now and I want to know why” John said. 

“Honestly, John……” Sherlock whined. He rubbed his hair irritably. “Can’t we just forget this ever happened?” 

“No……no we can’t” John said, his voice rising slightly. “I need to know why you did that. I need to know why every time I try to go out with Anna, you kiss me. I want to know why you, who has never just dropped a case, stopped midway through, went into little space and kissed me. I deserve to know”

Sherlock looked down at the floor, his eyes downcast. He didn’t say anything, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. 

“Is it because…….” John swallowed as he struggled out the words. “Is it because you have……feelings for me?” John prayed with every fiber of his being that that wasn’t the case. To an outsider, it would appear that he had Sherlock might have feelings for each other. But all of the hugs, kisses, sleeping in the same bed all took place while Sherlock was in little space. Nothing at all about it was sexual, not even close. Up until a few days ago when Sherlock had kissed him, with the obvious skill of someone who’d apparently done it before, he wasn’t even sure Sherlock had any sexual feelings at all. He’d never shown them before. Their play as baby and daddy was something wonderful and beautiful unmarred by such complications. They relied on each other heavily and John assumed that they had finally established what each of them needed out of this. If Sherlock had feelings for him, feelings that John couldn’t reciprocate, then it would change their entire relationship of caregiver and little and John didn’t want that at all. 

“No!” Sherlock said quite quickly. John was relieved to hear it but it felt he needed extra clarification. 

“Well, if you don’t then what’s the reason?” John asked, “Because the way you kissed me definitely felt like you meant it”

“I did mean it……doesn’t mean I have bloody feelings for you” Sherlock said rather defensively. He was struggling; while he spoke of his feelings freely as a little, as an adult he had a very difficult time sharing. 

“Okay……” John said, feeling confused at the contradiction. “I don’t understand. Explain”

Sherlock huffed, ruffling his hair so much it stuck straight up in places. “I didn’t want you to go” he said finally, the words bursting from him. 

That much, John knew. It still didn’t explain why he’d used that method of trying to keep him here. “I know you didn’t want me going…..but why try to kiss me? You confused me”

Sherlock looked down; he seemed incapable of looking at John now. “I thought it was what you wanted” he said uncomfortably. 

John felt himself getting hotter; surely he hadn’t given Sherlock that impression? He mentally ran through his actions of late to try to figure out when he had ever given Sherlock the impression that he was interested in a physical relationship but he couldn’t see that he had. “Well…….I’m not……interested in that” John said slowly to make himself perfectly clear. “What gave you the impression that I was?”

“You said you wanted to go out, you wanted to start dating again…….I thought……maybe I could……” Sherlock stuttered. “I thought I could give you what you needed”

John wanted to be mad; he wanted to be disappointed or angry with Sherlock for his behavior. He wanted to believe that Sherlock didn’t really think that way. Surely, Sherlock couldn’t really believe it was as simple as that. But deep down John knew that it was that simple. Sherlock’s grasp on the simplest human interactions was so limited that he really believed that if John desired romantic connection he could just step in and try to give him that even though he had no desire for it. It was just like Sherlock to not understand that there was infinitely a difference between going out with a woman and going out with him. 

“Sherlock…..”John started, thinking of the best way to phrase his words. “You do realize that me going out with Anna is very different than trying to have a romantic relationship with you?”

Sherlock looked up at him and it shone in his eyes that he really didn’t see the difference. His ignorance on the matter was almost painful. 

“Listen, Sherlock…….I don’t want that with you, I honestly don’t. And you don’t either so that’s good” John said, feeling like he was explaining this to a child even though Sherlock wasn’t acting little. “My wanting to date is an entirely different thing. I need someone else to fulfill that role.”

Sherlock’s eyes were downcast. “I just didn’t want things to go back to the way they were” he said, his voice strained as if the words caused him great difficulty. 

“What do you mean?” John asked. 

Sherlock began to wrench his hands together, growing more uncomfortable with this exchange. “I didn’t want things to go back…..back before all of this between us” he said unsteadily. “Back when you were dating all of those women…..you were out all of the time. You were never around. I don’t want it to go back to that.”

Warmness spread through John’s heart and he resisted the urge to reach out and hug Sherlock. Though highly misguided, his actions had been sweet. He was willing to give John a romantic relationship if that’s what he wanted because he didn’t want to lose what they had as daddy and baby. 

“Sherlock, that’s not going to happen, I promise” John said. “Things were that way then because I didn’t know about this life. Ever since you showed me that side of you, I’ve never wanted to go back. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have other needs that I can only get by dating. But what you and I have Sherlock is something completely different. It’s its difference that makes it exciting and fun. No one will ever have that with me but you. And I’m never going to forget this part of my life.”

Sherlock looked up, a small smile on his face. “You’ll probably have to leave soon?” he asked mischievously. Though he didn’t say it, John knew that this was his way of telling John that things were alright. As an adult he rarely said anything heartfelt. He also knew that Sherlock knew full well that he had cancelled his date. 

“No, you little bugger” John said with a small laugh. “I’m not going anywhere……but don’t you do getting ideas about doing that to be again. 

Sherlock gave him a mischievous smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it”  
…….  
“Well, I don’t know who got more of bath……you or the floor” John said in amusement as he walked into the bathroom and watched Sherlock playing in the bath. The bubbles that he had put into the tub seemed to be long gone and John was sure that Sherlock’s skin would be pruning by now. He’d given him extra-long in the tub and it appeared that Sherlock had taken full advantage of that. The walls and Sherlock’s pale chest were splattered with bathtub paints but it appeared that he had long since abandoned that effort to have a battle between the plastic dinosaurs and pirates that he was throwing at each other in the tub. Water splashed out as Sherlock launched a dino at one of the pirates, a wave of water showering the floor. Sherlock looked up guiltily. “Oops” he said, looking at the mess, but the smile on his face suggested that he might not be sorry about it at all. 

“Well, you’ll have to tell your dinosaurs and pirates to come to a truce” John said in amusement as he walked over to the tub. “It’s time to get you washed and dressed”

“Ah……already?” Sherlock whined, batting his eyes at John. John couldn’t deny that he was cute. 

“Yes, and no fussing about it” John warned with a smile. “You can have another bath tomorrow and you can stay in as long as you like” 

Sherlock looked at John as if was trying to formulate an argument but he decided that it wasn’t worth it. “Alright” he relented, dropping his toys into the water. 

John walked over to the side of the tub, putting a towel down on the wet floor before dropping to his knees. He grabbed a bath mitt, put some soap on it and lathered it up before running it along Sherlock’s skin. He had to give it to Sherlock; he was behaving much better after their discussion about his dating. That had been two weeks ago and this would be his second date since. When he had left the flat last Saturday, he’d seen Sherlock’s full eyes as he had left but the younger man had restrained his tears. He was making an effort to be understanding of John’s needs even though they were foreign to him and John was very grateful for that. John, in turn, was making every effort to make Sherlock feel extra special and loved in the time they did have together. 

John finished washing Sherlock and rinsed the soap and bath paint off before standing. “Alright, little ducky, let’s get you out of there” John said as he reached for a towel. Sherlock looked reluctant but he stood up and stepped out of the tub. John wrapped the towel around him and dried him off. When he dried under Sherlock’s arms, he gave him a forceful tickle in this very ticklish spot. Sherlock dissolved into giggles. 

“Daddy! Daddy! Stop!” Sherlock begged between giggles. 

“Stop? Oh why would I do that?” John asked in mock ignorance as Sherlock continued to laugh. 

“Because it tickles!” Sherlock said, his words punctuated by laughs. It was just the sound that John loved to hear. 

“And you think that’s a good reason for me to stop tickling you?” John asked teasingly.

“Yes! Yes!” Sherlock said, almost dissolving into a fit of laughter on the floor. 

“Alright……I’ll be nice” John said with a grin. He stopped tickling Sherlock and took his hand. “Let’s go get you dressed”

Sherlock held John’s hand tightly and followed him to the bedroom. John had already set out a nappy and powder on the bed and without cue, Sherlock lay down on the bed so John could put the nappy on him. John spread a generous amount of baby powder on Sherlock’s nappy area before closing the nappy and securing the tapes tightly. Before Sherlock could get up, John grabbed a bottle of nighttime baby lotion off of the nightstand and began to spread it over Sherlock’s skin, making small massaging motions as he rubbed the lotion into his skin. It wasn’t a normal part of their bath time ritual; this was something extra. The scent of the lotion calmed John and he felt himself smiling as he watched Sherlock, lying back on the bed, his eyes closed and relaxed, issuing small sighs as John worked along his skin. 

When Sherlock had relaxed so much that he felt like limp doll in John’s hands, John grabbed Sherlock’s pyjamas. Sherlock cracked an eye open as John stopped with the lotion, seemingly coming back to himself from the deep relaxation; it would be easier when John left if they were both calm and unwound. John dressed Sherlock in his dinosaur footed pyjamas and as he finished, Sherlock grabbed his blankie off of the bed and cuddled it close. As John put away the nappy change items, Sherlock sat up and looked at him.   
“Is it time for you to go?” he asked, his voice slightly sad but calm. 

“Yeah, it’s time for me to go” John said as he checked the clock. He walked back over to Sherlock and looked down at him sitting on the bed. “Need anything before daddy leaves?”  
Sherlock thought for a moment. “No” he said slowly. John knew he wanted to find a way to delay John’s departure but he resisted. 

“Hello?”

John and Sherlock heard Mrs. Hudson’s voice calling out in the living room. “Looks like Mrs. Hudson is here for you” John said with a smile towards Sherlock. “You better be a good boy for her while I’m gone. She’ll tell me if you’re naughty”

Sherlock smiled genuinely. “Mrs. Hudson doesn’t ever think I’m naughty” he said. 

“Mrs. Hudson is too easy on you……don’t be mean” John cautioned though he was smiling so the effect wasn’t as severe as he might have liked. John had explained that Sherlock was feeling left out and needed extra attention now that John was dating again and Mrs. Hudson had only been too eager to shower Sherlock with affection. John knew it was essential to Sherlock’s ease of adjusting to the changes. 

John walked with Sherlock into the living room where Mrs. Hudson was waiting for them. She gave Sherlock a look over, grinning at him. “There’s my little boy……don’t be shy” she said, holding out her arms. Sherlock paused only a moment before he waddled over from John’s side and into Mrs. Hudson’s waiting arms. She gave him a warm hug before Sherlock turned around in her arms so that she was still holding him but he could see John. 

“Thanks for coming, Mrs. Hudson” John said gratefully. “I really appreciate it” 

“Oh it is no trouble at all” Mrs. Hudson insisted. She gave Sherlock a squeeze. “I love spending time with our little boy”

“Well, I guess I better get going” John said, glad to see that Sherlock didn’t look like he was going to cry this time. “I’ll see you two later. Have fun” 

John grabbed his coat and was still putting it on as he walked out of the door when he felt strong arms grab him from behind. With pleasant surprise, he saw that he had been hug-attacked by Sherlock. 

“Have a good time tonight, daddy” Sherlock said enthusiastically. 

John felt warmed by Sherlock’s words. “Thanks, Sherlock. I’m sure I will.” He gave Sherlock a strong hug before he set off once more, descending the steps of their flat. He knew that this wasn’t over; he was sure that he and Sherlock would come across many other bumps in the road as they continued their strange but rewarding relationship. But for right now, everything was well with baby and that meant John was happy.


End file.
